The Change Our Game Research and Insights Initiative will see up to $1 million over four years invested into world-leading research to advance gender equality in sport and active recreation.

In line with the International Women’s Day 2022 theme of ‘Break The Bias’, the Initiative will focus on strategic interventions to accelerate the breaking down of barriers and advancing the conversation for gender equality in community sport, elite sport and sports leadership.

The Director of the Office for Women in Sport and Recreation, Sarah Styles, said, “Dismantling the barriers to participation in sport – at all levels – for women and girls is crucial to ensuring every Victorian can enjoy the many physical and mental benefits of an active lifestyle. Research and fact-based evidence are key to that.”

The insights generated will also shape future Change Our Game programs, reinforcing the drive towards gender equality in sport and active recreation.

The Initiative will also capture the successful Change Our Game Research Grants Program, continuing the support for university-based researchers and the role they play in developing leading, tangible solutions to advancing women and girls in sport and active recreation. For the first time, the Research Grants Program will articulate specific areas of interest for researchers to consider.

Applications for the upcoming round of the Research Grants Programs will open this month, with grants of up to $25,000 for researchers employed by or affiliated with Victorian universities.

An example of previous research undertaken through the Research Grants Program is the What Girls Want in Sport Uniforms study, which surveyed more than 300 Victorian girls aged between 12 and 18 on what made them feel comfortable and confident to participate in sport.

The research, by Victoria University, found adolescent girls prefer a choice of uniforms that make them feel ready for sport and not overexposed; clothing that fits well and is not unisex; dark coloured bottoms; and uniforms made from appropriate materials.